I can’t believe we are in the 13th month of 2020! Just kidding! It is indeed the year 2021. I have to mentally switch from seeing and writing and thinking 2020 into 2021.
What a year 2020 was for the globe. I am sure the impacts of pandemic on every corner of the world left no one at ease but the ones who seemed ruffled at the feathers are those in first world countries living a little more luxuriously than others. We as a nation of the United States threw tantrums when the world tried to stop travel and commerce for the sake of safety and saving lives. My heart aches processing the greed and the grief that stirred in the hearts of many Americans. Many saw sheer loss… from lives to income, personal space, regular outings and so on.
We didn’t beat the virus as you know, but I am glad to have seen a global effort to want to save lives and wear masks and limit exposure. What a thought! What a gesture! What an act!
To sum of 2020, it was definitely the good and the bad and the ugly…
I am grateful for it all!
My top things to be thankful for in such a year was a halt in my work-life.
#1 We decided, I would home-school the children in the fall, so I resigned from work. Up until March 2020 a new boss in town stepped into my world and changed up my work life. Though much of the storm has passed figuratively, I am grateful for the grace that is demotion and then cut in hours and then eventually, I am no longer working. My husband is the sole provider in our home in ten years! I am grateful. I am home now and I can be a mom full-time to five beautiful, amazing children!
#2 We have a home. We have shelter. Our home may be 1000 square feet but we have a front yard and a back yard. We have a tiny garden even!
#3 We have a pod family. Our friends from college have three kids almost, around our kids ages so we get to visit a lot and both of our families have the same values and outlook.
#4 My in laws. I am glad we have them in town. I know many do not live near family and it is the trend to be far from grandparents.
#5 Permission to Feel (haven’t read the book) but this very idea was introduced to me in a homeschooling seminar on Social Emotional Learning. 2020 has been the capstone year for my healing in my mental health. Having many children year after year on top of working part-time and running different ministries can wear ya thin! I have learning to process my day to day and take time to WALK or JOURNAL… or TALK… I am feeling the healing!
#6 Social Distancing.. believe it or not, this is a blessing. I have missed my regular routines but we have adapted and I have drafted new boundaries and rules for relationships that will help me in the years to come. Let me share what I am looking for in friendships and “ladies night out” … women who build and encourage, women who are helpers, women who are generous and givers. For many years, I let down boundaries with friends who took and took. I haven’t had any calls or text messages from those friends in almost a year–it is sad but affirming.
#7 Fishing, Hiking, Nature (we live in recreational area in Northern California). I have gone out Kayaking a few times with my family. We live near three lakes and two Dams. We live three hours from the coast and an hour from Lassen National Park. We live in a beautiful area!
#8 Sleep. I have taken many opportunities to sleep in and rest! on a low week of sleep especially as a mama to a toddler and a baby, a nursing one at that, I can get as little as 35 hours but I get towards the higher end of 56-60 hours a week. HALLELUJAH. I take my sleep very seriously even with all the night wakings from five babies in these ten years.
#9 Provisions. We have friends bring us gifts… Eggs for Easter strewn across the yard. We had a friend give us their trampoline. We had letters during a job loss. We have had gift cards, and so on. Though we had loss in 2020, we had gifts and newness…
#10 (not last ever because I can keep counting the blessings)… small but cool: propane stove I got a couple of years ago and we have taken it for breakfast in the mountains and hot cocoa and camping!
Why did I count those things of which I am thankful for? We have much to be thankful for!! We do…
I say if you have breath in your lungs: gift!
Sight?! Mobility?! … are all a gift. I believe this day has been given new to you… you a person made with purpose and value. To be given another day, what can we do to love others and show love, patience, kindness, compassion and humility?
I’m praying all those things for you, friends. Blessings on a new year!
Abundant Mommyhood 